A Dragon's Tears
by Gracie Facie
Summary: No, he didn't know who she was. He knew she sat under his tree every day at 2:15. No, Hiei didn't know who she was. But today he would find out. Today, he would follow her home. Hiei X OC Ch. 4: Clashing personalites blend seamlessly
1. Chapter 1: Today

I had the idea for this fic while reading another fic of mine, which is weird, because it really has nothing to do with the other fic.....

* * *

Hiei had no idea who she was. He didn't know her name, or who her friends were. But he knew she sat under his tree every day at 2:15 in the afternoon. He knew she liked to read murder mysteries and manga. He knew she liked sushi, and especially dragon rolls. He knew that at 2:59 exactly, she would get up and leave again, just before the students began to file out of the high school nearby. He never saw her in a uniform, so he knew she didn't go to school. The fox had no idea who she was, and neither did Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dumber. No, he didn't know who she was.

But today he would find out. Today, he would follow her home.

_It's 2:14._ He thought. _She'll be here soon._

He crouched in the tree, watching curiously, waiting for the one person who came around during the day, the person who had kept him entertained for the past two months by merely sitting and reading. His watch ticked off a minute: 2:15.

And there she was. Her long black hair was pulled into a messy ponytail today, and she was wearing bluejeans and a tanktop, along with boots and a sweatshirt with an american band name on it. She had a novel with her today--_The Alienist_.

She sat under the tree as she usually did, settling herself down. Hiei dared not move--he knew for a fact she had excellent hearing, due to a close call two weeks ago. She didn't have sushi with her today, so she just went right into reading her book. He knew she'd read it a couple of times, because last time he saw it she was almost done with it. Today, she was only a quarter there. He sat in silence, fascinated by this mysterious person who was not in school or at work like most humans were at this time of day.

The minutes ticked by, and after what seemed so little time, it was 2:59. She got up to leave, and Hiei knew this was his only chance. He waited until she was several meters away, then dropped down silently from the tree. He watched her turn a corner and was swiftly on thr rooftops, following her every move from a higher angle. He stopped when he saw her open a gate to a house, about two blocks from the school. He watched her go in, and then waited patiently until....

Bingo. The light went on in a second story window. He quickly and silently dropped into her backyard and scurried up a tree, where he found a veiwpoint where he could see in her window. He cocked his head to the side slightly, watching her mull about, putting her book away and everything.

No, he didn't know who she was.

But he would find out.

* * *

"You did what?" Kurama asked, turning away from the stove for a minute.

"I followed her home," Hiei repeated. Kurama sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hiei, you can't just stalk people like that. Things are different with humans."

"You don't seem to mind when I show up at YOUR window."

"Yes, but that's me. You don't even know this girl. What if she called the cops on you?"

"This girl is a curiousity. It is merely intrigue, nothing more."

"Somehow I doubt she'll see it that way." Kurama turned back to the stove, where his pasta sauce was beginning to bubble. "But I know I can't stop you. I'm just trying to help."

"I don't need help. I can figure this out on my own." With that, Hiei turned to the front door, and began to leave.

"Just.....be careful. Things aren't always as they seem."

Hiei didn't answer, and closed the door behind him.

* * *

The night air was chilly, but it didn't bother Hiei. He stood on the branch of the tree by her window, peering into the darkness. She had turned out the lights about an hour ago, but he was holding back to make sure she was asleep. Her curtains blew out her open window in the wind--obviously she had no problem with the cold, either. He stepped onto the windowsill lighly and crouched down, listening intently. All he heard was her steady breathing, slow and quiet. He stepped from the window onto her desk, avoiding the papers he remembered were there. He dropped off the desk and looked around.

It was dark, but he could see the bookcase clearly. Being the biggest thing in the room, it was stuffed full of books--manga and otherwise. Her bed was to his left, her dresser to the right, and the door right in front of him. He could barely make out the posters on the wall--some were from bands, others from plays. He turned his attention to the papers on the desk he had avoided before. He spread them quietly, and squinted at them until he could just make out the name at the top.....

Her name was Mariko Kunazaki.

Hiei stopped breathing for a second. This was what he'd come to find out. Who was she? Mariko Kunazaki. Her name was Mariko Kuna zaki.

This was what he was here for.

Why, then, did he feel so.....unfullfilled?

* * *

There's the first chapter! Hope you liked it. Lots and lots of narrative in this one, not alot of dialogue. I'm trying to get away from my habit of making it all about the dialogue.

Please let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2: Flaming Lips Tell No Lies

Thanks for all the reviews! (Even though I know at least three of the five are from my friend) Here's the second chapter!

* * *

Hiei swung into his bedroom through the window, landing lightly on his feet. He looked at the clock: 3:00 AM. Had he really been out that long? He didn't feel all that tired. Nevertheless, sleep did seem inviting. He fell onto the bed and closed his eyes.

So now he knows her name. He knows who she is, that should be all he wanted. What, then, was this feeling of...of failure?

Mariko. Mariko Kunazaki.

Mariko....

Mari.......

* * *

"Oh, Yusuke, Kuwabara! What a surprise!" Kurama said.

"Yo, Kurama!" Yusuke said, with a wave. Him and Kuwabara walked in, and Kurama closed the door behind them.

"If I'd known you were coming, I would've cleaned up a little. Hiei's gone nuts, tearing the place apart, looking for something. Besides, I really wasn't expecting anyone to come calling this late."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," Kuwabara said.

"I thought I smelled stupidity," Hiei said, appearing at the foot of the stairs. Kuwabara whipped around to glare at him.

"Watch it, you pint-sized weasel!"

"Or what, you'll trap me in an endless haze of stupidity? I lose brain cells every time I hear you speak."

"Why, I--"

"Stop," Yusuke said. "Remember why we're here?"

"Oh, right, sorry." They walked into the kitchen, followed closely by Kurama and Hiei.

"By the sound of it, I would almost say we have an assignment." Kurama said, joining them at the kitchen table. Hiei came over, but didn't sit.

"You guessed it," Yusuke said, taking a folder out from his jacket and sliding it across the table. Kurama picked it up, Hiei reading over his shoulder while Yusuke explained. "Some crazy demon wants us dead. Story of my life, right? But this guy's special. some kind of super mixed-breed. He's fire, water, ice, the works. And apparently smart, too. If we don't catch him soon, we are so _fucked_."

"Hold on, how can we have an assignment if you've been stripped of your title? You aren't spirit detective anymore." Kurama pointed out.

"Yeah, well old Binky Breath hasn't exactly found my replacement yet. He figured he'd give me the file and see what happens."

"Hmph, Pitiful creature," Hiei said. "Ignoring the peace treaty between worlds and wreaking havoc--he is weak. If that's all it is, then I'm going to go now."

"Be careful out there tonight, what with this demon lurking around," Kurama said nonchalantly.

"Wait, where ya going?" Yusuke asked. "It's like midnight almost."

"Where I go at any time, day or night, is none of your concern," He said icily, and then he was gone. There was silence for a second while Yusuke and Kuwabara processed what had just happened. Kuwabara was the first to speak.

"Jeez, he just gets more and more secretive every day," he said.

"Yeah, how the hell do you deal with that, Kurama?" Yusuke asked.

"Oh, where he's going is no real secret," Kurama said, chuckling. "You see, he's been watching this girl for the past two months, and for the past week or so he's been going to her window at night. Now, I told him......."

* * *

Hiei felt it before he saw it. The heatwave that was pouring through the streets like a vat of melted butter. The intensity grew as he got closer and closer to her house. His steps quickened slightly, and as he turned the corner, he saw the flames leaping around, painting the night sky with reds and oranges and yellows--

Mirako's house was on fire.

In two strides he was in the tree. He surveyed the damage quickly. _The fire has been going for too long._ Hiei thought. _She's inhaled too much smoke by now. She'll never make it out on her own._

He heard coughing from the room, and saw Mariko on the ground. She was holding her glasses tightly, and was barely conscious. The fire had swallowed her bookcase, and was making it's way to her bed. If he let it go it would swallow the whole room in less than two minutes, along with her.

"Damn," he said, and, without thinking, he crashed through the window landing on his feet next to her. She gave him one look, and, before she could say anything, she collapsed. He quickly picked her up, taking time only to pick up her glasses as well. Then he was outside once more, safely on the neighbor's roof. He stood there, Mariko unconscious in his arms, glaring at the flames that were burning away at the siding of the house.

"This is no ordinary fire," He said to no one in particular. "This is the work of a demon."

* * *

"So you brought her HERE?" Kurama said under her breath. They were all standing in Kurama's living room, with the addition of Botan and Yukina to do a medical check on Mariko, who was currently lying unconscious on Kurama's couch.

"Well I couldn't exactly leave her where she was. The fire could have spread. I may dislike humans but that doesn't mean I'd let one die like that."

"Wow, she's out cold," Kuwabara said.

"Hell, she was just in a fire. Wouldn't you be out like a light?" Yusuke asked. Kuwabara poked her arm.

"Yeah, you're right. She'll wake up, right Yukina?" Kuwabara asked.

"She's fine. She just needs to rest. She'll be better in the morning." Yukina answered.

"She's lucky she got out with only a few burns on her shins, what with the fire Hiei described," Botan added.

"Let's let her rest," Kurama said. "In fact, we should all get some sleep. You guys are welcome to stay here for the night if you don't wish to walk home."

"Yeah, sleep sounds good," Yusuke said, stretching. The other three agreed, and Botan left on her oar for spirit world."I'm still not used to the whole 'Kurama having his own house' thing. Kinda makes me feel old." He added as they began to leave the room.

"Hmph. Barely into his twenties and Yusuke feels old," Kurama said, watching them go upstairs. "Boy, will he be surprised to know how old demons get." He stopped by the stairway. "Are you going to bed, Hiei?"

"In a while," was his reply. With a shrug, Kurama went up the stairs. Then it was just him, Yukina, and Mariko. Yukina stayed true to her nature and didn't speak much. After a while, she fell asleep, leaning up against the couch. Hiei stared at the poor, unconscious Mariko.

He settled against the wall and, after about an hour, slipped into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

There's the second chapter, rewritten to fit into a post-series form. Kinda shaky, but still good. Next chapter will be better!


	3. Chapter 3: Still Alive

I deleted the third and fourth chapter to this story because I felt they could have been alot better. So, without further ado, the new third chapter!

By the by, the first Yu Yu hakusho Movie made me want to cry.....the voices....the plot line.....Hiei's personality.....It was like a bad fanfiction....

* * *

_The fire leapt around her, licking at her shins and seeming to laugh as it crept up towards her favorite books. She coughed, the smoke filling her lungs as she rolled out of her bed and thudded to the floor. She grabbed her glasses instinctively, but didn't manage to put them on. All she could see was the orange flames dancing in front of her, mocking her. You'll never get out alive, they had told her. She held her breath and tried to crawl towards the window. The flames seemed to laugh again._

_Come now, child, said the flames. You know you are about to die. Give up already._

_She coughed again, and suddenly a black figure appeared in front of her. She stared up at it, making out the figure of a man in a cloak. She could barely see his eyes before she collapsed. His hands were on her then, taking her away from the danger and the voices of the flames._

* * *

Mariko opened her eyes and blinked. She lay there, confused, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. Where were the flames? The heat? What about that man?

"So you're awake." Mariko turned her head towards the voice. It was a boy, standing next to the bed. "You're quite lucky I happened to be walking by last night. If I hadn't that fire would have eaten you alive in no time. In fact, you're lucky I even bothered to save you."

Mariko sat up slowly, not taking her eyes off the figure. "So, it really did happen...Were you the one who saved me?" She said. He looked down at her with his deep crimson eyes. His hair was black and spiky, with a white starburst. He wore the same cloak from what she could tell, and exuded an air of boredom.

"Yes. I took you out of the fire. But I didn't save you completely. Check your legs." She pulled back the covers and saw the bandages around her shins where the fire had gotten to her. She forced herself to look away. She looked around the room, taking in her surroundings slowly.

"Where am I?" Mariko asked.

"You're in my house," came a voice. The door opened and the two of them looked to see who it was. Another boy stood in the doorway, this one with long red hair and green eyes. He smiled when he saw her. He looked rather familiar...

"So she's awake after all. I thought I heard voices." He said, walking over to them. "I'm Shuichi Minamono. It's a pleasure to properly meet you."

"Mariko Kunazaki. The pleasure's mine." She shook hands with him, then looked over to the first boy again.

"Since I doubt he's introduced himself, I'll do it. This is Hiei, the one who brought you to my house last night." Hiei made a noise, then turned away and sat against the wall.

"You own a house?" She asked, dumbfounded. "How OLD are you?" She smacked her hand over her mouth. "I-I'm sorry. That was rude."

Shuichi laughed. "Don't give it a thought. To answer your question, I'm 22. My parents helped me get this place, if that helps you understand."

"I could barely rent the room I'd been staying in, and a kid who's a year younger than me owns a house." She mumbled to herself.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, I'm sure you've done what you could," Shuichi said. "But now that you're awake, I think the best thing to do is to send you home. I'm sure your parents are worried. We should get you back to them."

"That would be rather hard." She said.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, you see....My family lives in France."

There was a long silence during which Shuichi stood there, blinking at her as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"France?" Shuichi repeated. "But that's all the way in Europe! What in the world are you doing all the way over here?"

"I've lived in Japan my whole life! My dad just got transferred there with work two years ago. My mom and brother went with him. I was a freshman at the college here in town then, so I stayed. No sense in trying to transfer to France when I could live on my own now, right?"

"Yes, that does make sense." Shuichi blinked. "Wait, you said the college in town? I go there, too."

"I knew you seemed familiar," Mariko said, thinking hard about her school. "I've seen you in the halls a few times."

"Yes, I'm studying to be a doctor, and--what are you doing?" He asked as she swung her legs out of the bed and tried to stand up. She winced as a sharp pain ran up both her legs. "Please, stay down!"

"I can't possibly impose on you any longer than I have," she said. "I can find a hotel and stay there until I've got a new room to rent. Thank you for--" she didn't finish because Shuichi had firmly pushed her back down on the bed.

"I hope you'll forgive me for being so rough just now. I can't possibly call myself a med student if I let you leave in this condition. Your legs are in no shape to be used excessively, and walking is still a few days away." He explained. "I don't know about you, but I'm quite alright with you staying here. At the very least, it'll be good practice for when I'm a doctor."

"Really?" She asked. "I wouldn't be in the way or anything?"

"Of course not. Well, not my way. I can't speak for Mr. Grumpy-Gills." Hiei made another non-committal noise from the corner. Shuichi chuckled a bit, then pulled some bandages out of the bedside table. "Now, I think it's time to redress your wounds."

* * *

"You're letting her stay?" Hiei said from the kitchen doorway.

"But of course." Kurama said, continuing to set up a dinner plate for Mariko and not turning to look at the pissed-off fire apparition standing behind him. "Like I said, her legs are in no shape for walking. I couldn't forgive myself if I let her endure that kind of pain just to get to some filthy hotel." He finally turned to look at him. "Besides, no one ever said _you_ had to be here, Hiei. Don't you have duties with the patrol?"

"I'm no longer on the patrol, Fox. You know that. With the tournament crowning the new king, a new batch of idiots and fools were sentenced to suffer it."

"And what about Mukuro? She must be missing you by now, you've been gone for two and a half months." The air in the room grew suddenly chilly, and Hiei looked down, avoiding eye contact. "Hiei? What's wrong?"

"Mukuro..." He began. Then he looked up at him sharply, with fire in his eyes. "Mukuro can take care of herself. She most certainly does not need me."

With that, Hiei turned and glided out of the room. Kurama listened carefully, and heard a window open and close. He sighed. _I wonder what's gotten into him_, he thought to himself.

* * *

There! Chapter three! I personally think this is a better way to go than last time. Less of a Mary-Sue possiblity if she's confined to her bed.... LOL

Anyway, review and all that good stuff! See ya next time!


	4. Chapter 4: The Girl Behind the Glasses

Soooooo last chapter was alright, I've had this one in my head for a while. Enjoy!

* * *

_Hiei,_

_I have errands to run_

_today after school. Please_

_take good care of Ms. Kunazaki_

_for me. I know you will._

_;)_

_~Kurama_

* * *

Hiei perched on the roof like a bird, staring up into the fathomless blue sky. He was rather angry with the fox at the moment, mostly for the note he'd been left that morning.

'_I have errands to run today after school,_' it had said. '_Please take good care of Miss Kunazaki for me. I know you will_.' A little winky was scrawled at the bottom of the page.

Hiei snorted at the thought of the note. Take CARE of her? What was he, her keeper? And what was with the winky face? Just what was he insinuating there? Hiei lay down on the roof, all his anger subsiding as he stared at the wispy white cotton ball clouds. He closed his eyes and involuntarily saw Mariko's eyes staring back at him in his mind's eye. He put his palms to his eyes, as if trying to rub the vision away. She was just a human—why was he so damn fascinated with her?

She was mysterious in a way, not accessible to him. Which was odd, because she seemed open enough, she laughed and chatted with anyone willing to chat back. Now that he knew her, she annoyed him. He wished she would just go away. What was the mystery that had kept him so intrigued?

Her voice. Hiei sat up. Of course. It was her voice. For those two and a half months, he had never heard her speak, not once. Never had he imagined she'd have a voice, never even fathomed that she might be social. And that voice of hers, lower register than most girls he knew, was what he'd been baited by. And he didn't want to admit it, but her voice was keeping him interested. He almost wanted to strike up a conversation, just to hear her speak...

Hiei shook his head—it was all nonsense. He didn't even care...did he?

* * *

Mariko sat staring at the book in her hands. Shuichi had been nice enough to bring her a stack of books from his bookshelves, and normally she would've been taken into them right away. But today she was distracted.

She sighed and stretched out, letting her mind wander away from the bed she was confined to, away from her painfully blistered and burnt legs.

She wondered about the old couple who had lived in the house with her. Luckily, they had been on vacation, but what would happen when they came home to find their home burnt to ashes and their tenant nowhere to be seen? She wished she had money to send them. But since she couldn't get out of bed, she couldn't work. Of course, her boss understood, or so he said. Shuichi was bringing her all of her homework and things from the school—he was so thoughtful, a truly sweet guy.

What had he said that morning? Was it that Hiei was going to be caring for her today? She smiled wryly. She hadn't even seen the guy since yesterday. Was he even still in town? He certainly wasn't doing a very good job of caring for her, if that was what he was truly supposed to be doing. But she didn't care. She didn't mind being left alone. She'd been surrounded by friends of the boys almost non-stop since she'd awakened—the girls had even brought her clothes. They had stopped coming yesterday, but that was fine with her. She liked books better than people anyway. They were so much easier to understand, and they never changed or cancelled plans. She had managed to put on the social butterfly act for Shuichi and his friends, but now that she was alone she was comfortable again. She had never received stars on her report cards for playing well with others. Maybe she really would move to France, where everybody assumes she doesn't speak French and would leave her alone.

She frowned at the ceiling as her thoughts involuntarily turned back to Hiei. She remembered seeing his crimson eyes staring at her from the flames that night, and her body remembered his hands on her, taking her to safety. She wondered where the runt was…

* * *

Kurama walked through the front door, humming a tune he couldn't recall the name of. Perhaps he'd heard it on the train? He looked around at the quiet house, and realized that nobody in the neighborhood would even know he had two people living with him unless he told them. He knew that Mariko was a quiet person by nature, more likely to befriend people made of paper and ink than of flesh and blood. And Hiei…..Well, he was a different story completely.

"I'm home!" He called to the quiet house. There was no reply from Hiei, but he heard a 'Hello!' from Mariko. He walked up the stairs and knocked on her door.

"Come in!" He heard her say. He opened the door and saw her sitting up with a book in her lap, smiling at him through her messy bangs.

"I see you had an eventful day," he said, reffering to the pile of books on her left that appeared to have been read.

"Yeah, I've always been a fast reader," she replied, closing the book in her hands. "What's that?"

"Hmm? Oh, this?" He held up the bag in his hand. "I stopped by the remains of your old room and salvaged what I could. I hope you don't mind." He handed her the bag and smiled at the look of shock as she realized his hands were streaked with soot and charcoal.

"Y-You really didn't have to do that!" She said, taking it from him slowly.

"I thought it was the decent thing to do. Don't want the things that survived to go and rot, now do we? They were pretty lucky, the owners. Your room was the only thing damaged."

She nodded numbly as she stared at the bag, obviously not ready to open it. Kurama looked out the window to Hiei, who was sitting in the tree outside her window. _Once a stalker, always a stalker_, he thought to him pointedly. Hiei glared at him and he had to suppress a laugh.

"Shuichi?"

"Yes?" He said, a bit of whimsical laughter in his voice. When he saw the look on Mariko's face, he stopped.

"The Yamaharas...have they come back from their trip? I mean, the nice old people who live there?"

"Yes, I had a chat with them. Lovely people, so generous! They almost forced me to stay for dinner, but I insisted on coming home to care for you." he said. Mariko sighed and put her head down on the bag. After a second, he saw her begin to visibly shake. "Miss Kunazaki?"

She mumbled something that he didn't quite catch, even with his sensitive hearing.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to speak up."

She sighed again and sat up. "I said, are they mad at me?"

"What? Of course not! They were really worried about you, actually. They were glad I came by and told them you were okay. They knew the fire was an accident, but no one in the neighborhood could tell them what had happened to you." Kurama reassured her. "In fact, they're coming by tomorrow to visit you!"

Her smile brightened considerably, and Kurama could tell she genuinely liked this old couple. Not that he could blame her, they were wonderful people - - so full of life and so generous. He was looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow. He looked back out the window to where Hiei had been, and wasn't surprised to see that he'd dissappeared. He was so predictable.

* * *

Yay! New chapter! I think this is pretty darn good, especially because I wrote most of it a month or so ago before this major writer's block hit me...

**Please review! I need to know what you think!**


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